


Soft Gay, Hard Sci Fi

by ProxyWars



Series: -chanting- Thranto! Thranto! Thranto! [5]
Category: Alien Series, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Blow Jobs, Body Horror, Explicit Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, Gore, Horror, Imperial Homophobia, M/M, Risky Venues, Romance, Violence, Xenomorphs (Alien), You Have Been Warned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 07:50:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProxyWars/pseuds/ProxyWars
Summary: I'm ret-conning my own Thranto cause this is better.Now aboard the Thunder Wasp, Thrawn is asked to lead a mission aboard a ship, dead in space, and apparently contaminated with a hazardous chemical.Taking Ensign Eli Vanto along seemed like a good idea at the time, but dealing with this kind of carnage, up close and personal, was not what Thrawn had wanted for their final moments together.I'm spoiling my own plot here but, for real, if you're not into horror, don't read the first chapter. There will be a short run down in the next chapter of the relationship building bits, the rest i'll leave out.QTE is end game but it's gonna be Thranto first.





	1. Opening Parameters:

**Author's Note:**

> Body Horror and Gore. This chapter is designed for trauma bonding, the next one is for making out. I don't really like to mix the two too much.  
I've just re-watched all of the Alien series, so let's see how our boys deal with this curve ball huh?

It had been a few months since they had been stationed on the Thunder Wasp, everything seemed to be going ok.

B_etter than the last postin’ at least_, Eli thought as he followed behind Thrawn. There _seemed_ to be less xenophobia on this ship, but of course it was difficult to tell considering Thrawn was now the First Officer. Eli wasn’t sure if it was simply that people took them seriously now or if the ridicule and hatred had just gone underground. He’d probably never find out.

Their commander, Captain Cheno, was talking quietly with a rather rotund man on the other side of the holo projector when he and Thrawn walked into the briefing room.

“Do you recognise him?” Thrawn asked quietly, “He’s the Governor for this sector.” He added when Eli looked at him blankly.

A Flight commander and a Trooper commander were already seated at the table, Cheno cleared his throat to begin. “Senior Captain Thrawn, Ensign Vanto, this is Governor Opathan, he has a situation he needs us to deal with…

“There’s a ship not far from here, called the _Nostromo_, she’s DIS and needs a pick up. Problem is, there was a very dangerous chemical in Transport Hold 19 and it’s apparently tainted the ship’s climate control. The crew are mostly fine, the distress beacon was activated after the initial mayday call, so it looks like they got to a place they can hold out. The big problem is this chemical is a bit like death sticks, except turns people into savage, mindless zombies. So, there is a significant risk to whoever boards and it’s possible some of the _Nostromo’s_ crew might be affected.”

“How long has she been Dead In Space?” Thrawn interjected.

“An hour.” Cheno replied. Opathan was obviously uncomfortable with the way Thrawn had spoken into his commander’s briefing, and was surprised when Cheno allowed it without further consideration.

“Only an hour? That is well below the average Imperial response time of nearly six hours.”

“Well, this… cargo. It’s expensive and dangerous, so we’re dealing with it as soon as possible.”

“And the likelihood of any infected persons recovering?”

“Nill I’m afraid.” Cheno said gravely, “The stuff corrodes the brain almost instantly, people are only alive for a few hours at most.”

Thrawn inclined his head at his commander, accepting the answer but with obvious reservations. At least, they were obvious to Eli.

Cheno continued, “There’s two ways we can run this. We can send in as many troopers as we’ve got aboard, this decreases the risk of anyone getting hurt, but increases the risk to the Thunder Wasp crew at large, as contamination can be spread person to person. _Or_ we can put in a small team, get them in and out ASAP. The risk to the team is higher, but the risk of everyone else getting contaminated is much less…

“Senior Captain Thrawn, It’s your decision. I want you to manage this Op. yourself.”

“Yes, Sir. I will take a small team with me to the armoury immediately.” Thrawn stood and motioned for Vanto to follow him.

Opathan scoffed, “You’re not going in there _yourself_?! _Stars_ man, that’s what _Ensigns_ are for.”

Thrawn visibly stiffened, then took half a step sideways, interfering with Eli’s view of the man. “If the risk is so great, and the decisions so vital, then it makes sense to have experienced personnel ‘_on the ground’_, so to speak. Further, none of my crew are as expendable as your comment would make them out to be.” Cheno held up a hand behind Opathan, silencing Thrawn.

“Commander _Cheno’s_ crew, Captain ‘_Thrawn’_.” Opathan growled.

Cheno gave Thrawn a grave and apologetic look, “Dismissed, Captain, Ensign. See you on the live feed.”

~

It was the first time Eli had actually worn armour of any kind on a mission. The troopers had smirked and snickered when he struggled to get the damn thing clipped together, in the end Thrawn had to help him close the shoulder buckles.

_This is not a good start, _Eli thought as the ramp of the shuttle came down onto the dusty hanger floor. Looking around as they stepped out into the hanger bay… he felt suddenly very claustrophobic in his suit, his limbs numb and stiff… It was a hanger bay Eli Vanto recognised from his childhood.

The Cassidy was a Firefly-class transport, she was rustic and had notches and dents that gave her character, at least she still did on the inside. The outside had been completely repainted since the last time Eli had seen her. She’d been given a new signifier, but the dent he had made at twelve years old by driving an over-stacked cargo lift into a bulkhead was _definitely_ still there.

Eli’s breathing became deafening inside his suit and he wanted nothing more than to pull it off his mask and run through the decks calling for his family. Suddenly Thrawn’s masked face cut off his view, his hands grasped Eli’s shoulders and he was saying something over the comms.

How could this have happened? His family never shipped anything _dangerous_. What had his mother been thinking when she’d agreed to this run?

“…intact Ensign?”

Thrawn was frowning at him. Eli _hated_ it when Thrawn _frowned_ at him.

“Wh-what?” he managed to sputter.

“I need you to check your seal is intact, Ensign Vanto.” Thrawn asked in a deadly calm voice. Eli nodded and went through the check procedure with shaking hands.

“All sealed, Sir.” Eli said before he looked up, only _then_ noticing that everyone but Thrawn’s blaster was pointed at him.

_Oh... Right… Zombie Chemical._

“Then can you tell me what _is_ wrong, Ensign?” Thrawn’s voice was still calm but it had a touch of an edge to it. Eli felt his face heat, he’d practically had a panic attack. _How unprofessional, _he thought as he cringed.

“This is my _family’s_ ship, Sir. It used to be called the Cassidy, and she was a bit rougher, that’s why I didn’t recognise her. I’m sorry Sir, I… I shouldn’t be here.”

Thrawn gave him a long hard look, “I agree there is a conflict of interest, and that could lead to complications… However, we are already wearing contaminated suits and do not have time to send back for someone else. Now the initial shock has passed, I assume you are willing to continue the mission?”

“Yes Sir!” Ensign Vanto said emphatically. His enthusiasm garnering further droll chiding from the troopers.

A smile touched Thrawn’s lips, “Good. With me, Ensign.”

They moved through the ship quietly, two troopers taking point, Thrawn and Eli behind them and the rest of the troopers watching their backs. They made it to Bay 19 without finding anyone. Thrawn handed Eli the manifest he’d picked up as they passed through the door and Eli located the offending crate within minutes.

Except it was not a crate designed to carry chemicals.

Whatever had been kept inside the empty reinforced doonium crate was large… and alive. There was a viscous substance on the sides of the crate, Thrawn took a swab sample and then stored the little vial in a pocket on his hip.

Eli could see the deep scowl on Thrawn’s brow through his mask. Thrawn didn’t like not having all the facts, but Thrawn _hated_ being lied to. It was obvious that the mission briefing had been a complete farce.

“So, what are we lookin’ at exactly?” Vanto asked as the troopers made a protective circle around them.

“I am not sure, Ensign Vanto. But I think the contamination here is biological, rather than chemical. I have never seen a substance like this before, it seems to have eroded the doonium significantly.”

“That’s a gnarly acid if it can etch doonium!”

“Agreed. See here, there seems to be markings on the inside of the crate as well.”

“Sir… I think… that’s _scratches_.”

“What organism could have done this?” He asked Eli, who shook his head.

“Sir, I can’t think of any animal that can carve doonium.”

Thrawn nodded, “Neither can I. Troopers, any thoughts as to any animal or being that might be capable of putting such marks in this crate?”

A chorus of rather tense, ‘_No Sir’_, echoed around the quiet cargo bay.

Thrawn quirked an eyebrow at Eli, “Then we will have to find out for ourselves.”

~

It had been an hour since they’d found the crate, they’d checked half the ship already but found nothing more. Adrenaline was running out, so when a trooper disappeared with nothing more than a piercing scream, none of the others turned quick enough to see what had happened.

Two more disappeared in the same manner, until Thrawn made the executive decision that it was time to abandon their bug hunt, instead focusing on finding the _Nostromo’s_ crew, and _leaving_.

Eli had a pretty good idea of where they would be. There was a safe built into one of the smaller cargo bays that had its own climate regulator and could function as a panic room if they were boarded by pirates.

They were about to turn the final corner when Thrawn, now taking point, lifted his fist in a silent _stop_ command.

The group waited while Thrawn crept slowly to the edge of the corridor pausing to peer around the side slightly. He turned back and signalled for Eli to approach. Shuffling their positions when he reached the corner, Thrawn signalled wordlessly for a short look only. Eli leaned out just far enough for one eye to catch sight of what Thrawn had _heard_ from all the way down the hall.

There were two massive creatures chattering in the corridor in front of the safe door, they seemed to be making half hearted attempts to enter, while nipping and squabbling for the better position.

Nearly eight feet tall on skeletal digitigrade legs with thick strong claws, they whipped and stabbed their prehensile tails at each other and scratched at the vent. Their long-domed heads were iridescent green/black and their long jaws were filled with rows of razor-edged teeth. Saliva dripped from their mouths and their bodies were slick and sinuous. Eli noted the darkened ocelli under the armoured dome as it caught the light, and the slimy ridged section running from the neck to near the end of the curved skull was probably for sensing scent.

Eli flinched as one of the creatures opened its jaws and a long proboscis like appendage shot out from its mouth and shrieked. The tiny maw on the end of the horrifically phallic tongue gouging at the others armour.

Eli quickly pulled back as the shrieking intensified and signalled Thrawn, once they were far enough away Eli explained what he had seen, “It’s only a matter of time till they pick up our scent too.”

“Very good, Vanto.” Thrawn said with a small smile. “Though I believe the suit seals will protect us from discovery so long as they are intact… Seal check.” He ordered, before continuing his original train of thought, “Is there another way into the safe?”

“No Sir, the intake vent is connected to the climate control and it’d be too small to get into anyway. Unless of course you’ve got another buzz droid in your pocket?”

“I’m afraid not Ensign.”

Eli thought for a few moments, “Maybe we can make one. Or somethin’ close enough.”

“Are you thinking of the forestry parts in Bay 19?”

“I am, I know they’ll be destroyed in the process, but I don’t think mom and dad are gonna care much if it saves their lives.”

“I would hope not, Vanto.”

Suddenly there was a shrill beeping over the comm, everyone flinched at the jarring sound. Thrawn looked at the blinking red light on his wrist display. “It seems the mission now has a more specific deadline.” He grumbled under his breath, keying his suit’s atmosphere check. His brows leapt as the numbers showed almost complete diffusion of his suit’s atmosphere with the ship’s climate.

“Are you feelin’ ok?” Eli asked him, trying to see Thrawn clearly through the haze of their masks. “Your suit must have been open for a while.”

“I am… perhaps the toxin does not have the same effect on Chiss?”

“Or perhaps this entire mission is based on bogus info that _Governor_ felt a need to taint for us, or Commander Cheno.”

“How would we test that theory, Ensign?”

“Well for now we need to keep movin’, but I think we could probably take a readin’ of the air conduit filters and see what comes up? If it’s a chemical, the highest concentrations should be there.”

“And if it is biological?” Thrawn’s voice carried over the comms as he followed behind Eli, who just realised he had taken point. And that, strangely, he wasn’t afraid. Somehow _seeing_ the slimy, black insectoid creatures that had already killed four troopers, was better than the _not knowing_ had been.

Now they had a plan, and Eli felt like the situation was under control for the first time since he’d identified the Cassidy. With Thrawn at his back, there was no way this could go wrong.

Just then a man fell through a door into the hall in front of them, Vanto raised his weapon.

“Don shoo’!” the man screamed while he scrambled to his feet. His hands raised palm out in a sign of surrender.

“Identify yourself.” Thrawn called over the open comm.

“Tolund. Mapi Tolund. I’m not infected I swear! It didn’ get me! Look! Look! I’s dead. I’s dead.” He repeated hysterically.

Eli approached the door the man was pointing at. Laying on the floor was a pinky, grey creature about three feet long, nose to tail tip. It had eight skeletal legs, and in the centre of its body was an ugly orifice, still slowly oozing the same clear fluid the larger creatures drooled from their wide, grinning maws.

The specimen had been damaged by Tolund hitting it with the nearest blunt object, which happened to be a fire extinguisher, but Eli was sure he had never seen anything like this before.

“Another organism?” Thrawn questioned quietly behind his shoulder.

“Or a baby. It kinda looks like an insect, so it wouldn’t be strange for the nymph to look quite different to the fully developed adult.”

Eli could see Thrawn’s eyes twinkle behind the mask and his stomach leapt, “You are perhaps correct, Ensign. Crewman Tolund, what do you know of the creatures aboard this vessel?” he said as Thrawn took the man by the elbow and lead him towards the cargo bay.

“They’re nasty thin’s. We didn’ even know wha’ was in that kriffin’ crate till ‘bout four hours ago when it started to bump around and shriek. We closed off the ‘ole cargo bay but that monster just pried the door right off the crate and bled… cause i’s blood, i’s kriffin’ _acid_… It burned right through the blast doors and then herded us all into the engineerin’ bay. The eggs… hatched… and some of us got away, but we got separated, I hid in the medbay till one of those little thin’s found me... I killed it though… killed it.”

Thrawn stopped dead in his tracks, “Eggs?”

“Yea’,” Tolund nodded, “Heaps of ‘em, all through the engineerin’ bay. I’s so hot in there I could hardly breathe.”

“_D’arvit_.” Thrawn growled under his breath, “Ensign Vanto, go with troopers 142 and 613 to the cargo bay and build that saw. Troopers 790, 120 and 313 with me.”

“Wait! No! we can’ split up!” Tolund cried. “They’ll pick us off f’r sure!”

“That nest _must_ be destroyed. We cannot risk a growing abundance of these creatures.”

“Sir,” Vanto interrupted, “He might have a point. If you and the others go and destroy the nest, I might be able to sneak right up to the door and unlock it while they’re off tryin’ to… kill… _you_.”

“Then you will be alone, without back up.” Thrawn was looking down at him with a stern expression, “My plan puts less risk on any individual.”

Eli raised his brows and gave Thrawn his best casual smirk, “Come on, I got this.”

Thrawn observed him with that familiar intense focus, until he finally nodded. “Very well, Ensign. Take this with you.” He handed Eli one of his spare blaster packs, Eli took it without questioning why this particular blaster pack had a strangely lucky feeling to it, or why it gave him a fluttering in his stomach.

“Count to one hundred-seventy-four, Ensign.” Thrawn called as he disappeared down the corridor with Tolund and the troopers in tow.

One hundred and seventy-five seconds later, Eli watched from the cockpit monitor as the two creatures outside the safe turned and headed towards the large fire now burning in the engineering section.

Eli sprinted down the length of the ship, blaster held across his chest.

His breath rattling against his suit mask and his heart thumping madly in his ribs.

He made it to the safe door, punched in the code, and opened it, to find three people Eli knew huddled against the far corner. The horror and shock draining from their faces as they realised the being who opened the door was at least, humanoid.

“We gotta move!” he called to the two crew and his cousin Eaopaea Vanto.

The group sprinted towards the waiting shuttle. Eli caught a glimpse of one of the large black creatures that was quickly catching up to them. The lightning fast, side-to-side motion the creature had taken, bouncing between the walls of the corridor reminded him of a horrifying creature of the deep.

They threw themselves through the door just as it slammed shut behind them. Eli stood up on slightly shaky legs, pulling his cousin with him as he went.

It was over, they were nearly home.

Then he heard screaming from behind him.

Thrawn and two troopers were holding Tolund to the floor as he screamed and writhed. Opae cried from beside him, “Get away from him! He’s infected!”

“I know.” Thrawn called back, “How do we help him?”

“We can’t!” Opae sobbed.

“It’s inside him. You have to kill him. You have to kill him.” One of the crew called out.

“Explain!” Thrawn demanded.

“He got attacked by one of those face huggin’ ones, there’s one in him and it’s going to break out and kill us all before we get off this ship!” The terror was obvious in his eyes. “You’ve gotta kill em, man! It’s already happenin’, he’s a goner and he’ll take us all with em!”

Thrawn’s mouth became a thin line as he and Eli locked eyes, both trying to figure out whether the man should live or die.

“Don’t do it!” Opae grabbed Eli by the shoulders and looked him in the eye through the hazy mask. “Eli, please.”

Eli turned to Thrawn, who was watching him closely and began to walk slowly over to the screaming man, he handed his blaster to Thrawn as he approached. Kneeling down beside him, Eli pulled open Tolund’s shirt as a small moving bulge appeared in the soft cavity under his ribs.

“What fresh hell?” Eli whispered as the troopers jumped back from the prone man writhing and twitching awkwardly on the ground. “What the _fuck!_?”

Thrawn’s voice came cool and soothing over his shoulder, “Enough, Ensign. Go get the other crew into the _Nostromo’s_ shuttle and prep her for take-off.”

“Yes… Sir.” Eli walked away in a near daze.

_What the kriff? What the **Kriff**?_

Suddenly Eli was knocked forwards as someone slammed into him. Looking up from the ground just in time to see Tolund lock the shuttle door, he swore into the dust.

Thrawn opened a hailing channel to the shuttle and ordered him to power down, but no coherent answer came and soon the shuttle was soaring through the hanger exit.

Tolund came into view in the pilot chair as he swung back around and locked the shuttle towards the Thunder Wasp. The group then watched in horror as his chest exploded and covered the viewport.

Thrawn immediately commed the Thunder wasp. “Commander Cheno, this is Captain Thrawn. You must destroy that incoming shuttle.” He said in a glacially calm voice.

Thrawn’s handling of the situation made Eli relax, just a little.

_At least it’s not complicated now._

“Destroy the shuttle, Thrawn?” Cheno was obviously uncomfortable with the idea.

_He’s probably still getting sensor readings of a human aboard_, Eli thought coldly.

“There is a biological agent aboard that must not gain access to the Thunder Wasp.”

“I thought this was a chemical issue?”

“Sir, I will explain the situation when there is time-”

“Yes, Yes. Alright, it’s done.”

In the background, Eli heard the Governor yell, “What?!”

A few moments later, the distinct clatter of metal hitting the _Nostromo’s_ hull rang through the hanger bay and the group released a collective sigh of relief.

“We’re coming back now, Commander.” Thrawn finished as he gestured for everyone else to board the Imperial shuttle.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible, Captain. Governor Opathan and I have agreed that if the contamination is that bad, then we should wait for the HAZMAT unit.”

Thrawn paused and took a full breath before answering, “That would be proficient, Commander. May I enquire as to the arrival time of the HAZMAT team?”

“About twenty hours I’m afraid, Captain. We called them as soon as the issue came up but they’re a bit further out than us. Anything you can think of we might have here that will be of some use to you?”

“Not at the moment, Sir. Please keep me informed of any developments regarding the HAZMAT team.”

“Will do. Won’t be long, Captain.”

They made their way through the alternate door from the hanger back to the saferoom. Eli locked the door behind them and they settled in to wait.

It turned out they didn’t need the heavy armour or masks, so they didn’t wear them anymore. All of them striping down as the heat inside the small saferoom increased. It had been fine with three people for a few hours only, but with seven people in the confined space it was becoming unbearably hot.

Eli had expected Thrawn to simply ignore the heat, but much to Opae’s obvious pleasure he was one of the first to strip down to his undershirt. The walls of the safe were coated in insulating plastoid, no relief could be found from leaning against cool metal. This was not the first time Thrawn and Eli had had to wait in a confined space for an extended length of time, and they quickly fell into the usual routine.

Leaning against each other, back to back, they checked their weapons, then passed their weapons over for each other to check as the troopers did the same amongst themselves. They still had almost all their ammo, but Thrawn had burned through all his grenades and many of the troopers to destroy the nest.

Thrawn and Eli then checked Thrawn’s suit for the cause of the seal break. They discovered that the little vial of acid Thrawn had put in his pocket had eaten through the glass, and the thick material of his suit, and had even burned a mark into his uniform trousers beneath.

~

After ten hours they heard an indistinct scuttling sound outside the safe. Eli looked to Thrawn who pointed to where the sound had come from… it was the side of the safe that ran adjacent to the hull, only twenty centimetres between the two metal walls.

The scuttling moved along the wall, up to the inflow vent.

Thrawn motioned everyone back and for the troopers to lower their weapons. “We do not want to discharge weapons in this space.” He drew a long, slightly curved blade from his boot, making Eli’s eyes go wide.

He’d never seen it before, was it always there? Did Thrawn seriously just keep a _dagger_ _in his boot_ all the time?

Then it happened, the three-foot monster seemed to fly across the small room, Thrawn swiped it from the air as it flung itself at his face. The skeletal fingers and tail wrapping around his wrist, Thrawn made a sound between a low hiss and a growl as his blood began to drip onto the floor.

Eli rushed forward and tried to pry the creature off of his commanding officer, but each motion caused more blood to trickle down Thrawn’s fingers. Other’s joined him at Thrawn’s side, then the creature suddenly detached and, in the confusion, managed to latch itself onto the face of one of the troopers.

The trooper struggled, his muffled gurgling screams seeping out beneath the face-hugger that was now winding its tail around the trooper’s throat.

Then the trooper seemed to calm, then he became still, his chest rising and falling in slow peaceful breaths.

“He’s still alive.”

“Not for long.” The outspoken crew member replied, “Soon he’ll wake up… and it’ll be just like Tolund. That thing’ll break out of his chest and slaughter us all.”

“Is there anyway to remove it?” Thrawn asked the group.

“Not that we know of. We tried to get the second one we found off Lassie, but… we couldn’t get it off him.” Opae said.

“We have to put him outside!” The crewman whispered urgently. “He can’t stay in here.”

“Putting him outside would mean offering him up as a meal to those big ones!” Eli growled.

“We cannot stay in contact with him if he is infected.” Thrawn said close behind him.

“We can put him in the other room! The safe can be split in two! We can just put him on the other side of the door.” Eli offered.

“He will not survive the infection.” Thrawn said steadily.

“We can’t just kill him! Eli, please. He’s one of yours! Are you really going to offer him up to those things?”

Eli looked at the comatose trooper. “There’s only a few hours till the HAZMAT team get here, then _they_ can try to get it out of him, or whatever.” He offered, looking at Thrawn with pleading eyes. He would do as his commander ordered, but he just wished it didn’t have to be Thrawn who always made the hard choices.

“Arrange the secondary room, Ensign, Crewman Vanto. Put him in the side of the safe with the inflow vent. We do not want to have to repeat this procedure if another one finds its way in.”

“Yesssir!” Eli called as he began to key the code.

An hour later they were all jolted by a knock at the closed wall.

“H-hello?” Eli called.

“Wasgoingon? The trooper replied groggily. “Washappinin’?”

“Is the thing still in there with you?”

“Yeah, but it’s dead… yeah, definitely dead.” The troopers voice was clearer and more awake.

“Open the wall, Ensign” Thrawn ordered with his blaster raised.

The trooper put his hands up when he saw the weapons trained on him. “Whoa, guys, it’s just me! Look,” he kicked the shrived arachnid lying dead on the floor. “Damn thing!” he growled.

Then he collapsed to his knees, the other troopers rushed to his side.

Thrawn stepped back pushing Eli, his cousin and the two _Nostromo_ crew behind him.

The trooper screamed and his chest erupted, spraying one of the others, head to naval, with gore. Thrawn sent three bursts into the corpse, they heard a shriek and he sent in two more before what was left of the trooper fell to the floor. The small alien creature, now charred, protruding from his open chest.

“Okay,” Eli said breathless with adrenaline, “Next time, we put ‘em outside.”

~

Eli didn’t realise he’d fallen asleep until he woke up, slightly nauseous. Realising he and Thrawn had somehow shuffled forward slightly, Eli focused on the cool air from the inflow hitting his face so he wouldn’t vomit.

Thrawn’s usual constant stream of verbalised consideration had come to a stop too. In fact, it seemed everyone had come to a stop. Thrawn was leaning against him heavily, his head kept bumping against Eli’s every now and again.

Was Thrawn falling asleep?

Eli wriggled against him to get his attention, “Hey, you doin’ ok?” he whispered.

Thrawn hummed an affirmative reply but Eli could tell his voice was strained. “You can go t’ sleep if you wanna.” Eli wanted to sleep as well, the heat in the room still sapping all the energy from him, but he could stay awake a bit longer to let Thrawn rest.

Thrawn hummed a negative reply.

Eli bumped the back of his shoulder against Thrawn’s, “Go on, jus’ sleep.” He mummed.

“We will not wake up again, Eli.” Thrawn mumbled softly, “The room is building up carbon dioxide, if someone does not stay awake, there will be no one left to open the door when the HAZMAT team does get here.”

Eli would have jolted if he’d had the energy for it.

Of course! That’s why everyone was practically powering down like a bunch of droids. “Why didn’t you mention it before?” Eli groaned.

“I did not think it wise to make everyone fear an end they cannot control.” He paused for a moment before his head lolled back onto Eli’s shoulder, his lip brushed against the shell of Eli’s ear as he said, “This is a better way.”

“A better way for what?” Eli mumbled.

“For you to die Eli Vanto.” Thrawn whispered frankly, but Eli heard a touch of something beneath. “_Falling asleep_ is preferable to becoming a part of the life cycle of those creatures, is it not?”

Eli chuckled, “We don’ ‘aff to die at all.”

Drawing in as big a breath as he could, Eli crawled over to where Opae was asleep. “Hey, Opae!” he shook her and she frowned but did not wake, “Opae! We gotta change the scrubbers.”

“Changed em last week, not due f’r another month.” she grumbled as she turned over. Eli was sure she had, but they weren’t designed for long term life support, not for nearly twenty hours.

“Opae! Wake up! I need you to help me change the filters!” Eli yelled as loudly as he could and shook her with all his strength.

She grumbled but let him help her to her feet. He pulled out the maintenance box and pushed Opae towards the door, taking a moment to listen before keying in the code and peering into the corridor.

The fresh air hitting his lungs made Eli dizzy for a moment, before he trained his blaster down the corridor and Opae got to work on the scrubbers. He expected the whole thing should take about three minutes.

Opae cleared her throat, “So that CO of yours, he’s pretty cute huh? Great body too.”

“Cut it out.”

“What? Don’t like it when other people admire your boyfriend? I never thought you were the jealous type Eli.”

“He’s not my _boyfriend_!” Eli grumbled before he caught himself.

He’d slipped so easily back into the immature and emotionally exposed young man he had been on the Cassidy… he didn’t want Opae to know he had a sore spot about his relationship to Thrawn.

She giggled, “Oh stars you’re so clueless. You _need_ to tell him you love him.”

“What?! Kriff, Opae!”

“Eli, no one’s gonna care.”

“My parents _hate_ him. Every time I talk about him during calls, they get all _weird_. And they’re not exactly _progressive_, they’ve been talking about grandkids since I was, like, sixteen.”

“Eli, we love you. I know all the propaganda tells people that homosexuality in humans is wrong, but honestly, we know who you are. If it was truly wrong, Eli, it wouldn’t be a part of _you_. If you love him, you **_need_** to tell him.”

“What good would that do?”

Opae laughed openly behind him, “He’s too porg shit to tell you he _loves_ _you_. He’d probably rather _die_ than fall from grace in your eyes and that means he’ll _never_ make the first move. He _needs_ you, Eli, not just for your big brain. That man needs you because you’re a realisation of everything he values so deeply, but could never be.”

Eli scoffed over his shoulder, “What does that even _mean_?’

“He’s kinda a scary guy, Eli. Didn’t you say he got exiled for like, genocide?’

“A pre-emptive strike.”

“Same thing.”

“It’s not!”

“How do you know? He won’t tell you his _all_ dark little secrets remember?”

“Thrawn is a good man, I’m not the only one who thinks so. He’s honourable and loyal and honest.’

“And all those traits could describe half the assholes in the ISB. My guess is, although he has his own motivations, the decisions he makes… a lot of the time, he makes them for you… like not killing the trooper.”

“That didn’t work out.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“It does. Because my decision put us all in danger.”

“His decision, Eli. And I’d think there isn’t another person in the galaxy he’d let sway his decisions like that. You’re _good_ for him.”

“You just called him a war criminal! What do you _want_ from me?” he nearly laughed at the absurdity of his cousin’s logic. “He’s my CO...’ Eli added quietly.

Opae rolled her eyes, “He’s probably your soulmate! You kriffing nerf herder! Just tell the poor man so he can stop pining, it’s actually kinda pathetic.”

“Thrawn does not _pine_, definitely not for _me_.”

Opae covered her eyebrows with her index fingers making them more prominent. In an artificially deepened voice she growled, “Ensign Vanto, you must come examine this small detail directly beside me. Ensign Vanto, please hand me the thing I could easily reach if I wanted to, but then I wouldn’t get to touch your hand, luckily everyone else thinks I’m just an _entitled Imperial asshole_. Ensign Vanto, allow me to unbuckle your armour and check your _weapon_ while I’m at it.”

“Kriff off, Opae!”

Just then they heard a low growl from the end of the hallway.

“How far away is that clean filter?” Eli said in a low tone.

“Done.” Opae whispered.

“Get inside. Get inside.” Eli pushed Opae towards the door as an adult alien came bounding down the corridor with that same, too fast, side-to-side movement, making Eli feel distinctly lightheaded.

The creature crashed into the door behind Eli and Opae, sealing it shut.

“Well I see our dalliance outside has finally collected attention.” Thrawn said looking up at them tranquilly as they panted, backs against the door, before going back to meditating.

Opae mouthed ‘_Dalliance_?’ at Eli with mock seriousness.

‘_Quit it’_, Eli mouthed his own reply, and Opae sniggered.

Thrawn’s comm chimed and Cheno’s voice rang through the metal cube, “HAZMAT is here boys, get yourselves to the hanger bay and dock with the quarantine ship ASAP.”

“Yes, Commander. The good news is appreciated by all.”

Thrawn didn’t make a move for the door. “We’re not going to get a clear run a second time.”

“I agree, how many grenades do we have?”

“Not enough for all the hatched eggs in the engineering section.”

Eli sighed, _more_ withheld information. He wished Thrawn wouldn’t do this. “How many are we talking?”

“Three, perhaps four.”

“That’s not so bad… Right?” He asked Opae.

She stared down at the floor.

“So, then we lure them somewhere else.” Eli turned to Thrawn, “That could work right? Maybe the Thunder Wasp could send a droid in to set up some kind of distraction and we could slip right by?”

Thrawn nodded, “Did you catch that, Commander?” he said into his comm.

“I did. Give us fifteen minutes.”

Twelve minutes later they were braced against the door, waiting for the shrill creature that had been banging against the safe since Eli and Opae changed the filter to be drawn away.

“Now!” Thrawn commanded, grabbing Eli by the belt and pulling him through the door close behind him.

The corridor was empty but Eli could hear the distant sounds of the aliens screeching as they made their way to the distraction. They were half way there when Thrawn held up his fist. “Do you smell that?” he asked Eli quietly.

Eli inhaled deeply but shook his head. Another one of Thrawn’s little physiological attributes that made him the perfect person to have by your side at a time like this.

“There is a great deal of blood in the next passage, is there a way around?”

Eli shook his head again. “No Sir, this _is_ the way around.”

Thrawn’s features darkened, and Eli watched his eyes go cold and empty, “Very well.” he said deeply, motioning for the remaining stormtroopers to come forward. Eli protecting the civilians at the back, they moved into the offending corridor.

It was then that Eli smelt it.

Thick and sweet in the back of his throat.

There was a pool in the corridor, crimson spattered over the walls and floor and whatever remained of the victim lay scattered in piles and masses on the floor. Eaopaea sobbed and quietly retched behind him and the two remaining crew did the same.

As Eli stepped carefully through the mess, he noted there was more than enough pieces for several people to be included in the carnage. This was probably why they had not detected any other human life signs on board. Everyone had been turned to paste.

They crept through the ship at a good pace. Arriving at the hanger bay not long before the HAZMAT shuttle landed.

A blaring voice came over the _Nostromo’s_ intercom as they entered. “One minute, twenty-three seconds until core breech… One minute, twenty-two seconds until core breech…”

Eli swore under his breath.

Of _course_.

Thrawn had set fire to the entire engineering section, then they’d ignored it for nearly seventeen hours, the hyperdrive core would have been in full meltdown for at least six, and it was about to burn through the shielding and blast the entire ship and anything within a thirty-kilometre radius full of radiation.

Eli was exhausted, he wasn’t sure he could handle another crisis situation just at the moment. He needed a minute to focus.

“Fifty-nine seconds to core breech…”

They would probably only just make it out of range in time.

Then the doors behind them sizzled and burned, the creatures were coming through to get them. He turned his back on the shuttle, taking up a firing position next to Thrawn. Eli took several steading breaths.

This was it.

They were going to die.

Eli felt calm descend on him as he remembered his cousin was safely aboard the HAZMAT shuttle, and Thrawn was at his side. If he was going to die in action, he was glad it was like this, shoulder to shoulder with the man he loved, facing unsurmountable odds, protecting his family.

Suddenly he was shoved to his left, hard, into the arms of the messy stormtrooper. He was being dragged towards the shuttle. Eli kicked out and fought but more hands locked around him, pulling him further and further from protecting Thrawn’s flank. He twisted around and there were the two troopers and a HAZMAT trooper trying to manhandle him through the shuttle’s small door.

He looked back just in time to see Thrawn approaching the melting door in a crouching run as the creatures breeched through. Eli struggled against the arms pulling him back. He nearly broke loose, nearly, before the shuttle door slammed down in front of him… and he was let go.

Eli Vanto screamed Thrawn’s name through the tiny window as he disappeared out of view, and the shuttle pulled away.

~

Thrawn tried to slow his breathing as he punched the codes into the semi-intact escape pod. His left hand was numb now from the injury from the face-hugger. The acid burns on his upper arm and left hip were slowly getting deeper and deeper, it had been lucky it was secondary transfer, or it would have melted him right there and then.

“Thirty-five seconds till core breech…”

Thrawn knew there was little hope he would be unscathed, he just hoped he’d not succumb to radiation poisoning before he told Commander Cheno what had happened. He had to tell him about Opathan, about the stolen specimen and the likelihood the Governor would be trying to cover his tracks by having Eli and the rest of them destroyed. Regardless of contamination or not.

He’d been slowly putting the pieces together during their time locked in the safe. The strange and highly coincidental circumstances surrounding the Thunder Wasp’s proximity to Eli’s family’s ship, the sector Governor being close enough by to meet them within an hour of the _Nostromo_ being DIS.

He launched the pod, quickly putting it in drift mode. A moment later the _Nostromo_ blew herself to pieces, and hopefully, Thrawn thought sourly, the Xenomorphs along with it.

The heat flashed through him and he felt sick and _afraid_. Radiation was not a good death, and he wasn’t sure if the procedures that worked on humans would work as well on Chiss. He just had to hope, and wait.

He coasted on the shockwave to the Thunder Wasp, kicking on the jets to direct him the last few metres into the hanger bay.

He pried himself out of the pod, noticing the deep purple shade his skin had taken. He felt the nausea build a little but he swallowed it down, he _needed _to find Commander Cheno. Needed to tell him about Opathan’s plan to kill Eli.

Eli, who had without a second thought, taken up a position at his side, the young man fully thinking it would be their last stand.

There was only room in the pod for one. He’d shoved Eli at the nearest trooper, given him ‘the look’ and silently nodded to the shuttle. The warm bloom of Eli’s unflinching loyalty temporarily overwhelmed the nausea in Thrawn’s stomach.

Cheno had been alerted and arrived as the hanger bay staff were frantically trying to convince him to get back into the pod to stop contamination.

Thrawn fought them off as his CO approached, quickly launching into a full barrage of information.

Opathan had stolen a single Xenomorph specimen from the secret facility he was overseeing and arranged for it to be transported on a civilian ship to avoid detection. He had not anticipated that the creature would not like its long and close confinement and would break out, leading to it laying eggs in the cargo bay.

After several members of the crew were infected, they put out a mayday, which Opathan heard due to his monitoring of the ship for such incidences. Opathan contacted the Thunder Wasp, which he knew would be there due to her established patrol route. Eli being stationed aboard was a complication, because he would fight tooth and nail to protect the crew, all of them his family as far as Eli was concerned, so he would have to be taken out too.

Cheno immediately commed High Command to tell them of the incident. They agreed to the immediate arrest of Governor Opathan.

Cheno let out a relieved sigh, “So, I suppose you’ll want to be there when we slap the cuffs on him, mm?”

“Much appreciated, Commander.”

~

As they boarded the other vessel, the scene was already in motion.

Eli was standing in front of and shouting at, two stormtroopers and Governor Opathan, behind him were his cousin and the two other crew from the _Nostromo_. All three looking pale and terrified.

One trooper pulled Eli out of the way and trained his blaster on the civilians…

“Halt!” Thrawn commanded. The trooper instinctively stopped.

Thrawn could see the obvious relief wash over Eli as he noticed Thrawn and Cheno in the HAZMAT medbay. Cheno quickly briefed the HAZMAT Trooper Commander on the situation with Opathan, who Thrawn noticed slowly slinking around the group to the medbay door. Thrawn chose not to react, as Ensign Vanto had also realised what Opathan was attempting and was now subtly following him.

Eli’s cousin screamed and Thrawn whipped his head around to her, expecting to see a chest-burster breaking through someone’s ribcage any moment. Instead he felt cold metal against his head, as Opathan’s concealed sidearm was shoved into his temple.

“Now, you’re going to listen very closely!” Opathan growled into Thrawn’s ear.

Then Thrawn felt Opathan fall into him, and they were on the floor. Thrawn realised a second man was tangled up with them in the confusion.

It was Eli.

The blaster went off, one of the two men tangled up with Thrawn lay still.

Eli?

Someone pulled him, swaying, to his feet.

He felt strong arms around his waist as the dizziness and nausea finally caught up with him. Thrawn’s vision began to blur and he saw stars, but he fought against them.

He needed to know.

He needed to see.

Eli.

Then he nearly sobbed as he heard a familiar voice speak, though muffled by being pressed up against his throat, “It’s ok, I’ve got you. I’ve got you. Everythin’s gonna be ok now. You’re gonna be ok.”

And the last thing Thrawn saw before he blacked out, was Eli Vanto’s warm, brown, smiling eyes.


	2. Intermission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thrawn meets the Vanto Family.  
Eli is forced to articulate his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter follows on pretty close from the last one, but it's the fun chapter.
> 
> *Last chapter recap: Thrawn and Eli got put on a mission to kill of Xenomorphs on a ship Eli's parents own. lots of people died. Thrawn and Eli are obviously into each other, but it takes Eli's cousin bringing it up to get either of them to kriffing think about it.  
Thrawn and Eli need some time off, so they decide to take some of their accumulated leave... On the Vanto Mothership... what could go wrong with their newly exposed feelings on the Vanto family cruise?

Thrawn woke up groggy in a med bay that was _certainly not_ aboard the Thunder Wasp. Beside him, Eli Vanto was asleep upright in a chair between Thrawn’s bed and his cousin on the other side.

Thrawn watched him for a little while.

They’d both made it.

Thrawn smiled softy to himself.

“Pretty isn’t he?” Opae whispered.

“Pardon?” Thrawn whispered back. He hadn’t noticed she was awake.

“He’s pretty… He’d do anythin’ for you, you know.”

“It’s his job to follow my orders.”

“No, I mean. He’d do almost anythin’, for _you_.”

“Such specific loyalties are frowned upon in the Imperial Military.”

“What about the Chiss military?”

Thrawn stiffened at the mention.

“Eli told us all about you. Well, not everythin’. He never said you were so attractive.”

Thrawn raised an eyebrow at her, “The Chiss have many similarities to the Empire, and many differences.”

Opae scoffed quietly, “Oh, _classic_ Thrawn move. Answer the question by not answerin’ the question at all.”

Thrawn was shocked, had Eli really been so explicit in his description of him that his cousin knew about his tendency to avoid pointed questions about the Chiss?

She sighed, “It doesn’t matter. Look, I get it. He’s like your moral compass, right?”

“I design my own morality.”

“Don’t say things like that, it’s kinda scary.”

“Do _you_ not?” Thrawn asked keenly.

Opae frowned, just then Eli stirred and the conversation closed.

Eli smiled and leaned over towards Thrawn, “You’re awake. How do you feel?”

“Not terrible. What did they do for me?”

“They’ve pretty much flooded you full of bacta. They dropped you into an infusion tank for the first three days, then after that you’ve been on IV. They’re sayin’ you’re gonna be completely fine… but your hand is gonna scar a little. I’m sorry, Thrawn.”

“It’s not the first, nor will it likely be the last.” Then Thrawn noticed Eli’s hand was also bandaged. “What happened to you?”

Eli grimaced, “Oh… Well… you see. Opathan… he um… tried to kill you. So I rushed him, and uh, I punched him in the face. It was a good hit! Broke his occipital bone… and one of my knuckles. It’ll be fine in a few weeks.”

Thrawn sighed, he was tired. No… he was exhausted, so exhausted he wanted to close his eyes again. “I think, perhaps we should take some of our accumulated leave time. What do you say, Eli Vanto?” even _he_ heard the strain in his voice.

“I think that’s a good idea.” Eli crooned quietly. “You just rest now, alright? Rest and heal.”

Thrawn drifted off to Eli’s warm, quiet voice.

~

Two days later Thrawn was wide awake and they were trying to pick a place to take shore leave. Finally Opae groaned and sat up, “Just come home with me for a while, Eli. Your parents haven’t seen you in months and months. And after this, they’ll want to see you whole and happy for themselves.”

Eli gave Thrawn a sideways glance, “Nah, Opae. We’ll take leave… somewhere else.”

“Eli Naberrie Vanto, You will _damn well_ see your mother! I assume Thrawn will be comin’ too?” She said as she plucked her comm from her pocket.

“What’re you doin’” Eli asked in a panic as she keyed in a number.

“Hey Auntie! I’s Opae. Eli’s gonna come home for a few weeks on leave. It’s that excitin’? He’ll be travellin’ with me so there’s no need to re-arrange your route… I _know_! He’s glad to be comin’ home to see you too, oh, and Auntie… He’s bringin’ a friend.” She giggled.

Eli reached out and tried to swipe the comm from her.

“Yes yes, they’re both travellin’ with me. It’s no problem, I’ll let you go tell Uncle! Okay… bye.”

“What did you do?” Eli hissed.

“Oh come off it, Vanto’s don’t _hate_ anyone Eli. You’re bein’ childish.”

Eli scowled and crossed his arms.

Thrawn thought to himself about how much of a wonderful opportunity it would be to learn about Lysatra and Eli’s culture.

~

When they arrived on the _Longevity,_ Eli was immediately pulled into a cluster of chattering humans, all questioning him for details on the Alien treat he had defeated, Thrawn and Opae largely forgotten. Opae winked at him as Thrawn studied the intense family bonding display before him. Such exposed emotion and physical interaction would _never_ be seen by outsiders of a Chiss family. Thrawn found himself simultaneously embarrassed and enthralled.

It was obvious Eli was well loved.

Especially when a larger, middle aged woman came jogging excitedly into the hanger. “Oooh, where’s my boy? Where’s my Boy!” she cried happily as Eli extracted himself from the rest of the passengers and accepted his mother’s big hug with a broad smile. Eli’s father was not far behind her and they shared a brief ‘guy clench’ hug before his father pulled him back to arm’s length and gave him a good glance over, apparently satisfied his son wasn’t hurt, he turned to Thrawn and Opae.

Scowling at Thrawn he gave Opae a quick hug before thanking her for bringing Eli to visit. “…but you might have mentioned that the ‘friend’ he was bringin’ wasn’t a girl. Your Aunt made up shared quarters for them.”

“Oooh, reaaaaaly? Oooohhh nooo.” Opae said as Eli approached.

“’_Ooooh nooo’_ what?” he asked in the same sarcastic tone.

“Your mom made up shared quarters for you and Thrraaawwwn.” She said carrying on the mock disappointed tone. “What ever are you guys gonnaaa doooooo?” She wiggled her eyebrows at him and Eli had to supress a rude comment… after all, his mother was nearby.

“We’ll have to find somewhere else for your… Commandin’ Officer… then.” Eli’s father grumbled, raising an eyebrow at Eli, who winced.

Yeah, it was probably weird to bring your CO on a family holiday, but neither he nor Thrawn had any other friends. It wasn’t like Thrawn had anywhere else specific to go. Eli knew Thrawn felt bad that his presence rubbed off on Eli that way, but Eli didn’t care. As far as he was concerned, the others could all go suck on a womp rat.

But it _was_ weird.

And Thrawn was a Chiss, an oggy boogy from traumatising child’s bedtime stories. A dark banshee that would seduce human travellers and then tear their souls from their bodies through their mesmerising glare.

Eli wanted to bury his face in his hands. The next three weeks were going to be torture.

~

Instead of the private room, Thrawn and Eli ended up in a barracks with Opae and another cousin. After the intense and overwhelming experience on the _Nostromo_, both seemed to have a need for peace and quiet. So they took to walking the long corridors of the ship together, doing minor maintenance and other tidy work tasks.

Eli realised after a day or two that although he was happy to be around his family, _not_ being near Thrawn was difficult. He became tense and hypervigilant whenever he was alone, every skittering sound within range sent a shot of anxiety straight through his chest. Expecting to see razor sharp teeth or a crawling nightmare around every corner.

He was so tense he nearly launched his spanner at Opae when she surprised him in one of the cargo bay control hubs as he was fixing a blown fuse.

“Stars!” She said gripping her chest, “You scared the hell out of me!” she hissed.

Eli scoffed a laugh, “You too huh?”

“Yeah.” Opae said quietly. “So you and your blue boy have been spendin’ a bit of quiet time together. Do I take that to mean you’ve stopped being _porg_ then?”

“I’m not tellin’ Thrawn I’m _into_ him while were _here!_”

“Oh, cousin. You’re not just _into_ him. You’ve got it _baaaaad_. So does he. So…” she waived him toward the door, “Get it done, Soldier.”

“Kriffing hell Opae. Do you really think it’s that easy? Have you not read the posters? ‘Homosexuality is a degeneration of the human species’!”

~

“Homosexuality is a degeneration of the human species.”

Thrawn stopped in his tracks. That had been Eli’s voice.

A sick, cold feeling welled in his stomach.

He tried to shake it out but it stuck, even though he tried to convince himself there was no rational reason to experience this feeling…

Betrayal.

Eli didn’t owe him anything. Regardless of whatever loyalty they had to each other, it was clear now that Eli’s side of their relationship was not developing as it was on Thrawn’s.

_Fine._ He thought bitterly. He was sick of always feeling the ache in his chest that he couldn’t just logic away, no matter how he tried.

He’d give Eli the reason he needed to finally say he’d had enough of Thrawn.

“Ensign Vanto.” Thrawn’s voice boomed into the control room.

_Oh Gods. _

The anger drained from him immediately at the look of startled fear on Eli’s face.

_Oh Gods no._ _What am I doing?_

But he continued before he realised that he had lost control. “I am surprised and disappointed _you_ of all people would hold such an extremist view.”

“I… I… Thrawn… I” Eli sputtered; his brain seemed to be glitching.

“Furthermore,” he continued, now ignoring Eli, “To answer a previous question, Miss Vanto, the Chiss military does consider personal loyalty of value. We also consider the bond between consenting adult couples to be scared, regardless of gender.”

When Thrawn looked at Eli again there was anger and pain hidden behind the glacially cold features, “There is more to warcraft than the Empire’s prerogative, Eli. And men who bond with other men are _not_ the problem we face.”

“Thrawn, you don’t understand.” Opae interrupted. The look he gave her made her flinch, but she held her ground and continued. “Eli is as frustrated with the Empire’s position on the matter as you seem to be.”

Thrawn gazed down at Eli.

“Can we drop this, please?” Eli nearly pleaded. “Please Opae, can we just _not_.”

Thrawn turned to her, “You are also homophobic?”

“Stars! _You two_! Will you just kriffing _talk_!” she said and stomped away.

Eli started up before Thrawn could open his mouth.

“Ok so I know we’re not even supposed to be talking about this but there’s not really anything I can do about it now so I guess this is as good a time as any to be kicked out of the Navy, right? And cause I’ve not actually done anything I wont go to jail, just be court martialled and that’s not so bad and my parents will still let me work for them, I’m pretty sure. And I know you’re going to have to report me and all that, but in for a penny, right? So I guess the thing is… that I’ve been in love with you since like, the second day, and I know it’s all messed up and twisted cause you’re my CO, but it didn’t start that way, not on the Strike Fast. You were… just Thrawn then.”

Eli took a heaving breath, and his gaze fell to the floor, “So I guess you’re gonna have to do something about it now?”

Thrawn studied him for a few moments before a smile crept across his lips, “Yes, Eli. _I am_ going to have to do something about this now.” He said, low and husky.

Eli’s eyes snapped up from the floor to look at him as Thrawn took two steps forwards.

Thrawn’s eyes locked with Eli’s and he reached out and brushed the hair away from the young man’s face. Trailing his finger tips through his hair until he cupped Eli’s cheek.

They leaned in and Thrawn felt his whole-body fill to the brim with joy and excitement as their lips came together and Eli’s arms snaked around his waist. Stepping closer, Thrawn deepened the kiss, brushing the tip of his tongue softly against Eli’s bottom lip, seeking permission of entrance. Eli opened for him, and Thrawn felt like he was falling as their bodies pressed together. Thrawn felt himself throb, already hardening against Eli’s firm core.

He was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to pluck Eli from the floor and have him over the console right then and there. But he steadied himself.

Eli was barely as old as Thrawn looked, and Thrawn anticipated, considerably inexperienced.

Instead he sated himself with running his hands under the light jacket Eli wore, under his thin cotton shirt, lifting it just enough to run his fingers over Eli’s stomach and sides. Nothing more.

Eli broke the kiss and trailed his lips along Thrawn’s jaw, who let out a soundless gasp as Eli’s short stubble brushed against his sensitive skin. He had watched Eli shave his face many times, but had never had excuse to touch him as intimately as this.

Thrawn felt Eli tugging at the top buttons of his shirt and nearly groaned as Eli’s cold hands slid over his collar bone. Thrawn backed them into the nearby console, needing something steady to balance himself against as Eli nipped down his throat.

He groaned as Eli bit into his shoulder firmly, but not enough to be painful. They could discuss that later, now was for exploring, reassuring, learning.

He heaved a breath as Eli slid his hands all the way down his now bare torso to the belt around his hips. Instinctively he raised Eli’s shirt a little more before pausing, “May I?” he questioned, tugging gently on the cotton.

“Stars. Yes!” Eli panted as he fumbled with Thrawn’s belt. Allowing the shirt to be pulled over his head Eli groaned into their next kiss as they came back together.

Thrawn’s hands slid down to Eli’s firm ass and Thrawn pulled them hard together. Both of them groaning as Thrawn’s member twitched against Eli’s abs and Eli pressed his now fully hard cock against Thrawn’s thigh. Thrawn moved one hand to the small of Eli’s back and rolled his hips. Eli’s head lulled back and he claimed Thrawn’s mouth with a growl.

Suddenly Thrawn felt Eli’s fingers tangling, firm but gentle, through his hair as he brushed his knuckles against the sensitive head of Thrawn’s cock through his pants with the other. The sensation overwhelmed him and he let his own head fall back and closed his eyes. Half forgetting where they were, he had half a mind to go to his knees for the smaller but surprisingly overwhelming Ensign.

Eli’s teeth buried into his throat and Thrawn gasped audibly. He heard Eli chuckle, low and dark and a thrill ran through him.

“You can have me, Eli” he panted into another claiming kiss.

“I’m fuckin’ goin’ too.” Eli growled back.

Thrawn felt him tug at the clasp of his pants, felt his own brow furrow with aching need, felt and heard Eli’s breath against his neck, hot and so, so good.

It would be quick, Thrawn knew. But it didn’t matter. As long as Eli was enjoying himself nothing else mattered.

…

“So did you two- Oh my Stars!” Opae disappeared back through the control room door.

So much for nothing else mattering.

~

Eli groaned in disappointment as Opae jogged away quickly, shouting “Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” as she went.

Eli wondered how long it would be before Thrawn confronted him about the situation they found themselves in. He figured maybe a day or two. To his surprise there was no lag at all.

“So there should be a discussion about how we are going to pursue this.”

Eli inhaled a breath, “Yeah ok. Let’s hear it then.”

Thrawn blinked at him and cocked his head to the side, then blinked again and continued. “I would suggest we keep our romantic interactions a closely guarded secret, though I think the time for that has already passed.”

“Opae won’t tell anyone, she knows what’s up.”

“Then aside from that… there is an aspect I would like to discuss at greater length.” He glanced at Eli through his eyelashes, “Though I do not know of your taste or experience, I find myself wanting to… please you, Eli.”

Eli stared at him for a moment before his eyebrows slowly raised and a grin spread over his face, “Am I getting it correct that _you’re_ a bottom.”

“Not necessarily. I do not much mind what position I take in that regard. I do wish our sexual relationship to be near the antithesis of our working relationship. If that is something that excites you.” He flicked another glance from beneath his long dark lashes and was relieved to find Eli smirking at him.

No shock or surprise, just _hunger_.

“Oh, it excites me.” He said running his knuckles over one of Thrawn’s nipples, they were both still exposed and shirtless, Thrawn’s pants still half open. “Am I to understand that _you,_ mister control-freak, enjoy being _submissive_?”

Thrawn’s face twitched, then he looked down sheepishly and nodded.

“Stars, look at you. You’re beautiful like that. All coy and self-conscious. Do I make you feel self-conscious now, Thrawn?”

Thrawn felt his forehead burn, it had been so long since he’d _wanted_ someone to have that power over him, let alone actually being comfortable enough to give it. “I feel… like I’ll be willing to take anything you wish to give me.”

Eli raised his eyebrows and pulled back, “Is that right? Anything?”

“I trust you will not make me do anything that would do me harm, or put me in danger.”

Eli relaxed and nodded, “Good, I was worried we were gonna have a problem there. I need to know your limits, or at least, for now, that you have them!”

Thrawn quirked a small smile, “I do, but we can explore those at your leisure.”

Eli’s voice was gravely and low, “Oh yeah?”

“Indeed.” Thrawn whispered back.

Eli smirked and refastened Thrawn’s pants, eliciting an _almost_ silent whimper. Eli grinned even wider at the plaintive noise.

“Not here though. Get yourself together, and follow me.”

~

After quickly dressing Thrawn, Eli lead him through a maze of tight corridors and walkways in one of the lower decks. Eventually they came to a stop in a maintenance bay.

The moment they crossed the threshold, Eli grabbed Thrawn by the shirt and pushed him against the far wall, slamming the door behind him with his heel.

“This ok?” Eli asked, “Where not gonna be able to find a bed for this, so privacy is the best I can do.”

“Just have me already, please.” Thrawn hissed.

It was all Eli needed, and he accepted the desire he had been swallowing down for years.

He tugged his shirt over his head and then began to work on the last of Thrawn’s buttons as cerulean fingers started from the top. When their hands met in the middle Eli took Thrawn’s wrists firmly and forced them back against the wall on either side of his head as Thrawn groaned.

“Keep ‘em there.” Eli growled as he undid Thrawn’s belt for a second time.

Thrawn nodded and tried to catch his breath, Eli quickly interrupted as he closed his teeth over one of Thrawn’s nipples. His arms twitched, but the back of Thrawn’s wrists never left the wall.

_Good_. Eli thought as he unbuckled his own pants. _He’s serious about this._

“Eli, let me please you.”

“You will Sugar, don’t you worry.”

A ragged groan escaped Thrawn’s lips, sending Eli’s head spinning.

He could feel Thrawn slowly coming undone in his hands. Nothing was going to stop him from claiming Thrawn now, intruders could just kriff off.

“Please let me touch you. I need to touch you.”

Eli wanted to make him wait, but there was emotion in his cracking voice that let Eli know it was something he needed for him to feel okay in this moment. Thrawn needed something to cling to while Eli swept the world out from underneath him.

Eli threaded their fingers together and Thrawn sighed and slumped back against the wall.

“I got you, Darlin’.” Eli whispered. “You’re mine, and I got you.”

“Let me…” Thrawn whispered back rolling his hips into Eli, who nodded.

Then Thrawn was on his knees in front him. The sight of Thrawn’s fingers _trembling_ making him pulse with need. Then he felt the cool air brush over his cock head as Thrawn drew him free.

Eli looked down into Thrawn’s crimson eyes, heavy lidded and pupils blown out with desire. He was beautiful, so beautiful. Eli kicked himself for not doing this sooner, so many cold nights in space wasted. When he could have been doing _this._

Thrawn opened his lips and his deep purplish red tongue slowly reached out and lapped at the sensitive underside of Eli’s cock. It twitched in Thrawn’s grasp and Eli saw his eyes widen just a little as Thrawn watched it pulse in his hand. His eyes flicked up to Eli’s again and this time he swallowed Eli down, slow and deep.

Eli groaned without restraint and braced both palms against the wall in front of him.

Thrawn drew him out, then back in again and Eli tried not to rock his hips, letting Thrawn decide how much he could take. He could test that later.

Thrawn paused with the tip of Eli’s cock in his hot mouth and caressed the head with his nimble tongue, sending Eli to the stars for a moment before their eyes met again. Thrawn’s hands found his hips, thumbs gripping tightly enough to bruise. Eli groaned wantonly as the added pressure sent the intensity of Thrawn’s tongue up another notch.

Soon Thrawn set a steady pace and Eli was thrusting into him gently, moaning and grunting with every new trick Thrawn tried as he licked or sucked or gently clawed at any sensitive skin he could reach from his knees.

Eli had no idea how long it had been, but he was nearing his end. The small eager moans that rumbled through Thrawn’s throat as he took Eli in as deep as he could, built him up and up and up until, with a shuddering cry, Eli gripped Thrawn by the back of the head and held him in place as he pulsed out into his throat.

When he looked down again Thrawn’s eyes were watering, but he blinked slowly up at Eli.

An extraordinary jolt of excitement shuddered through him at having Thrawn on his knees, pressed hard up against the wall, with Eli’s cock buried as deep in Thrawn’s throat as the kneeling man was willing to go, as he silently waited for air.

Slowly and gently Eli pulled out, Thrawn sputtered a little and drew in a trembling breath. His dark lips swollen and pouting. Eli went down on one knee and kissed him, then gently helped him to his feet and leaned him against the wall.

They stayed like that for some time, slowly coming down. Their arms wrapped around each other and their kisses lingering and deep and consuming.

“How are you feeling? Eli asked gently.

Thrawn took in a deep breath and nuzzled deeper into Eli’s arms.

_He’s definitely not ready yet_, Eli thought.

Eventually Thrawn pulled back a little and finally answered, “I’m happy.” he said quietly.

“How do you want to get off?”

Thrawn shook his head, “I feel like I have. I would rather we settle down now, you can find ways to overwhelm me again soon. I promise.” He said and leaned in for another deep, long kiss.

Eventually, Eli lead Thrawn to the door by the hand, kissed each of his blue knuckles gently and sighed slightly.

Thrawn nodded.

And they stepped back into their regular existence.

_Except it wasn’t_, Eli thought with a smile. _It would be better, more complicated, but so much better._

Now, whenever Eli caught Thrawn’s eye he saw the tensing of his throat and the slow lowering of his lashes. He felt the heat of his red gaze on him like a laser beam, awakening his cock without even a touch.

They sat together at dinner with the others, their knees touching lightly under the table, distracting him entirely from the goings on around him. Opae gave him a grin and raised her eyebrows, Eli couldn’t hold back the lopsided smirk. Opae pursed her lips trying to conceal her joyful smile.

That evening they went for another walk around the ship, ending up in the forward lounge, watching the stars stream across the hyperspace sky. Eli made sure the door was locked and they curled up together on the largest couch. Thrawn’s head lay on Eli’s chest and Eli’s fingers trailed through his hair till they both fell asleep, far from their designated shared bunk, wrapped up in one another.  
Warm and content.


End file.
